DA MP lodges poll death threats claim against Icosa leader Breda

A DA MP has laid a charge of assault against an Independent Civics of South Africa (Icosa) leader who allegedly threatened her in Kannaland, in the southern Cape.

While the Western Cape poll was recorded as a mostly violence-free event, DA MP Zelda Jongbloed laid a charge of common assault against Gershwin Breda, a highly ranked Icosa leader in Kannaland.

Jongbloed, who was deployed by the DA to Kannaland as part of her constituency work duties, said she laid the charge against Breda on Wednesday after he followed her from a polling station near Ladismith and allegedly threatened her.

She said he had confronted her shortly after she had been called by a DA election worker to deal with a complaint that the presiding officer at a voting station in Ward 1 Kannaland had breached IEC rules.

“We raised questions regarding the opening of envelopes of special votes, and I was informed that he had instructions that he could do this,” Jongbloed said.

She said when she left the voting precinct in her vehicle to take the matter further she was accosted by a man in a bakkie who drew up beside her and demanded she identify herself.

She said she showed him her parliamentary identification card and insisted the man identify himself.

“That is when he told me ‘I am going to kill you.’ I went to the police station to lodge a complaint and police provided me with protection to the next voting station,” she said.

After the incident, Jongbloed posted on Facebook: “The onslaught has started. I’ve just been confronted and promised that I will be killed by the legal adviser of the Kannaland municipality.”

The MP said this was the second threat she had had in the past week. She had information a Kannaland politician had hired someone to kill her.

Ladismith police confirmed a charge had been laid by Jongbloed and a man had been arrested and would appear in court on a charge of common assault on September 9.

Courtney Sampson, Western Cape IEC head, said he was unaware of the DA dispute about irregularities in Kannaland. He said he would liaise with police on details of the alleged threat. Breda did not respond to calls and questions about the incident.

Another Icosa leader, Vlan-

Zelda Jongbloed

cio Donson responded, saying: “The DA leader was within the boundaries of the IEC, and she does not belong there”.

Donson said the alleged threats were never made by Breda, but conceded Jongbloed and Breda had an exchange.

“This is an election lie, there were no death threats, he told her she was drunk and they exchanged other words,” Donson said.

“Later he heard that police were looking for him and he presented himself at the police station where he refused to pay a fine and will appear in court in September,” he said.

Zelda Jongbloed